Trains return as £60m M6 bridge project is completed on WCML

Train services have resumed on the northern section of the West Coast Main Line after a fortnight-long closure that allowed a series of major infrastructure upgrades to be completed, with passengers thanked for their patience as the route fully reopened today.

From this morning, Thursday 15 January, trains have once again been running along the northern half of Britain’s busiest mixed-use passenger and freight railway. The line had been closed for 14 days to allow Network Rail to carry out extensive improvement works aimed at boosting reliability for years to come.

The most significant element of the programme was the replacement of the Clifton railway bridge, a 4,200-tonne structure spanning 130 metres over the M6 just south of Penrith in Cumbria. Newly released footage shows the first trains crossing the £60m bridge following its demolition and reconstruction within an ambitious two-week window.

The project required the rare simultaneous closure of two of the UK’s most heavily used transport corridors. Over the first two weekends of the year, the M6 was shut in both directions between junctions 39 and 40 to allow Network Rail and principal contractor Skanska to safely remove and replace the bridge. At points during the blockade, a 115-mile stretch of the West Coast Main Line between Preston and the Scottish border was completely free of rail traffic.

That unprecedented access enabled teams to carry out more than 60 additional upgrades along the route, all delivered during what Network Rail described as a once-in-a-generation closure. Completing the work at the same time is intended to reduce future disruption for passengers and deliver better value for the taxpayer.

Throughout the closure, Network Rail worked alongside Avanti West Coast to keep rail travel moving where possible. A special shuttle service was operated on the Settle to Carlisle line, marking the first time in a decade that the historic route has been used as a planned diversion during major works.

Christian Irwin OBE, Network Rail Capital Delivery director for the North West and Central region, said:

“We have used this vital 14-day closure to make the biggest possible impact on the West Coast Main Line with multiple major upgrades now completed. As a result of the hard work of hundreds of our colleagues, both passengers and our freight operators will have a more reliable railway for generations to come. We have worked closely with National Highways and train operators to limit the disruption to road and rail users while the M6 bridge replacement has taken place. I’d like to thank them and local communities impacted by the diversionary routes and those close to our construction site while we carried out this project to secure the future of not one, but two nationally important transport links."

Chris Liptrot, Avanti West Coast operations director, said:

“We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while Network Rail replaced the rail bridge at Clifton. This vital upgrade will make journeys reliable for decades to come. We’re pleased to have kept rail travel open for the North West throughout these major works with our services on the Settle and Carlisle line and appreciate the support of industry partners in making this possible.”

Andrew McClements, TransPennine Express customer experience & transformation director, said:

“We’re grateful for our customers' understanding while this essential work took place. The improvements delivered during this closure will make a real difference for passengers who rely on the West Coast Main Line, supporting more reliable journeys right across the North."

Image: Network Rail